I was served by talking robots at a sci-fi restaurant. It was fun but the hospitality sector could easily survive without them.

Kate DuffyDec 11, 2021, 21:03 IST

"Amy" and "Sparky" the robots inside Robotazia.Kate Duffy/Insider

Robots are becoming more popular in hospitality and I wanted to see what the hype was about.
I went to a sci-fi restaurant where I was served nachos by chatty, smiling robots.

I visited "Robotazia," a sci-fi restaurant full of different types of robots, to see what it was like being served by human-like, talking machines.

"Sparky" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

Robotazia, based in Milton Keynes, north-west of London, employs 20 staff and four robots, owners Joy Gittens and Mark Swannell told Insider.

Outside of robot restaurant in Milton KeynesKate Duffy/Insider

The restaurant bought the four server robots, which all look similar to "Ella" pictured below, from Japan.

"Ella" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

Apart from the four server robots, all of the other robots in the restaurant were made out of recycled metals and other materials.

Reporter with robot outside Robotazia restaurantKate Duffy/Insider

I sat in one of the booths where a human server took my order.

Inside Robotazia restaurantKate Duffy/Insider

The robots have a runway which they roll up and down, delivering food to guests. One side of the booth is blocked off so people don't disrupt the robots' flow.

"Ella" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

The first robot that came to say hello was called "Sparky," who was built by Swannell. Although Sparky was friendly and, dare I say it, witty, I preferred chatting to a human.

"Sparky" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

The first robot that came to say hello was called "Sparky," who was built by Swannell. Although Sparky was friendly and, dare I say it, witty, I preferred chatting to a human.

After Sparky waved goodbye, "Amy" rolled over to my table to deliver the nachos I ordered.

"Amy" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

After I took my bowl of nachos off the tray, Amy told me to touch her hand to let her know when I was finished with her service. She replied "bon appetit" — I was impressed.

"Amy" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

After I took my bowl of nachos off the tray, Amy told me to touch her hand to let her know when I was finished with her service. She replied "bon appetit" — I was impressed.

Gittens said the robots can turn around and roll off if they detect a lot of metal jewellery on a guest. A tear also appears on their face if a person gets too close to them, she said.

"Amy" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

Gittens said the robots can turn around and roll off if they detect a lot of metal jewellery on a guest. A tear also appears on their face if a person gets too close to them, she said.

"Josh" smoothly passed down the aisle with food for another table.

Kate Duffy/Insider

The four robots are costly and require maintenance every week, Swannell said, adding that usually, every Tuesday he has to fix or tweak something on them. They're more expensive than hiring human servers, he said.

"Josh" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

The four robots are costly and require maintenance every week, Swannell said, adding that usually, every Tuesday he has to fix or tweak something on them. They're more expensive than hiring human servers, he said.

On one busy Saturday, Gittens said that one of the robots said it needed to "recharge" and returned to the dock to refill its batteries.

"Ella" the robot inside RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

Both owners emphasized how the robots are not designed to replace humans and are purely a fun feature of the restaurant. With the hospitality industry increasingly turning to robotics, especially amid the labor shortage, it dawned on me how valuable the human experience is during table service.

RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

Both owners emphasized how the robots are not designed to replace humans and are purely a fun feature of the restaurant. With the hospitality industry increasingly turning to robotics, especially amid the labor shortage, it dawned on me how valuable the human experience is during table service.

Overall, being served by chatty, smiling robots was a fun experience. But I wouldn't swap them for human servers!

"Sparky" the robot insider RobotaziaKate Duffy/Insider

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I was served by talking robots at a sci-fi restaurant. It was fun but the hospitality sector could easily survive without them.

I visited "Robotazia," a sci-fi restaurant full of different types of robots, to see what it was like being served by human-like, talking machines.

Robotazia, based in Milton Keynes, north-west of London, employs 20 staff and four robots, owners Joy Gittens and Mark Swannell told Insider.

The restaurant bought the four server robots, which all look similar to "Ella" pictured below, from Japan.

Apart from the four server robots, all of the other robots in the restaurant were made out of recycled metals and other materials.

I sat in one of the booths where a human server took my order.

The robots have a runway which they roll up and down, delivering food to guests. One side of the booth is blocked off so people don't disrupt the robots' flow.

The first robot that came to say hello was called "Sparky," who was built by Swannell. Although Sparky was friendly and, dare I say it, witty, I preferred chatting to a human.

After Sparky waved goodbye, "Amy" rolled over to my table to deliver the nachos I ordered.

After I took my bowl of nachos off the tray, Amy told me to touch her hand to let her know when I was finished with her service. She replied "bon appetit" — I was impressed.

Gittens said the robots can turn around and roll off if they detect a lot of metal jewellery on a guest. A tear also appears on their face if a person gets too close to them, she said.

"Josh" smoothly passed down the aisle with food for another table.

The four robots are costly and require maintenance every week, Swannell said, adding that usually, every Tuesday he has to fix or tweak something on them. They're more expensive than hiring human servers, he said.

On one busy Saturday, Gittens said that one of the robots said it needed to "recharge" and returned to the dock to refill its batteries.

Both owners emphasized how the robots are not designed to replace humans and are purely a fun feature of the restaurant. With the hospitality industry increasingly turning to robotics, especially amid the labor shortage, it dawned on me how valuable the human experience is during table service.

Overall, being served by chatty, smiling robots was a fun experience. But I wouldn't swap them for human servers!